Joel Nelson - Lead Agent

Joel got his first hands-on experience with real estate as a teenager, working for several years on the maintenance crew of a classic 1912 apartment building in Philadelphia. The job taught him early how to work with experts in every trade, and to keep tenants happy with creative problem-solving. In 1989, Nelson moved to Washington, DC to attend American University, where he obtained a degree in psychology. That foundation has been invaluable in daily life as an agent and consultant, as he helps people see their own competing objectives aligning with those of another party for mutual success.

For six years, Joel worked for a national company managing group homes for residents with developmental disabilities. Along the way he married, and he and wife Thonya moved to five different cities for work assignments. They returned to Washington in 1998 when Joel accepted a position with a business and technology consulting firm, and fell in love with Capitol Hill, where they now live with their two children. Once back in DC, they immediately began finding, fixing, and selling historic homes, and in 2001 Joel decided to work full time to help others make good purchase and sale decisions as a licensed agent. In 2006, Joel and a group of like-minded agents founded the first Keller Williams (KW) office in DC - the fastest-growing brokerage in the City.

Joel’s varied and hands-on experiences as a counselor, investor, renovator, and marketer have all combined to make him an extraordinary advisor and guide, helping his clients achieve their individual goals in the vibrant neighborhoods of the Nation’s Capital region.

Alan Mertz - Buyer Specialist

Originally a Bluegrass native of Louisville, KY, Alan lived for 30 years in the Windy City of Chicago. Very early in life he exhibited strong artistic interests, which led to a passion for fashion illustration and architectural design. After collegiate studies in marketing and advertising, he made his way in the Women’s Apparel Industry, representing designer collections from New York, Toronto, Milan, and elsewhere. Over two decades, from his Chicago Apparel Center showrooms, Alan's sales company marketed to fine boutiques, specialty stores, and major department stores throughout the Midwest, and helped manufacturers refine their designs to inspire customer demand.

Business travels enabled Alan to experience urban living, neighborhood fabric, and city re-development across Chicago, Minneapolis, Cincinnati, Louisville, and many other cities large and small. With a keen eye for architectural detail, passion for urban housing, and a desire to reinvent himself in a bold career change, Alan entered the real estate industry in 2000. Over the last decade, Alan has focused on the sales of urban homes, condos, loft conversions, and mixed-use developments, helping hundreds of clients achieve their real estate goals in historic, mixed-use city neighborhoods. His personal experience in home renovations and redevelopment projects make him a valuable resource and advocate for buyers of old and new homes, and he is committed to outstanding service and personal care for each and every buyer!

Alan and his wife Becky make their home on Capitol Hill, where they live the advantages of city life – Live+Work+Play all within minutes of home! When not working with clients, Alan squeezes in an occasional round of golf, coaches neighborhood Little League baseball, remains a die-hard Chicago Cub fan, and bleeds Blue for Kentucky Basketball!

Erica Epps

Operations Manager

Coming Soon

Nikki Zook-Blount

Buyer Specialist

Nikki Zook became interested in a real estate career after purchasing a rowhouse in Washington, DC in 2008. She enjoyed the process of searching for the perfect home so much that she wanted to help others through their buying experience. For her the perfect home was a rowhouse that required an extensive renovation. She has enjoyed helping clients establish what characteristics determine the best home for their needs.

Nikki is an attorney and so both the legal and emotional aspects of real estate were fascinating to her. She opted to maintain a dual career in residential real estate as well as a position at the Department of Veterans affairs helping manage federally owned real estate. Nikki currently lives in the Hill East neighborhood of Capitol Hill with her husband and two miniature schnauzers. She joined the Joel Nelson Group in 2009.

Colleen Cancio

Buyer Specialist

Colleen Cancio started her real estate career by working with her husband to renovate historic row homes in Washington, DC. After moving here from Berkeley, California, in 2001, Cancio fell head over heels in love with the city's architecture. It wasn't long before she and her husband bought a home of their own, which they remodeled from top to bottom, adding modern conveniences to the character-rich old bones of the nearly 100 year-old property.

Before becoming a realtor, Cancio worked for several years as a freelance writer. She continues her writing career today with a focus on issues related to local real estate as well as the joys -- and occasional sorrows -- of home ownership in the District. Cancio currently lives in the Hill East neighborhood of Capitol Hill with her husband and two daughters. She joined the Joel Nelson Group in 2010.

• Working with Joel and his team was a pleasure. I feel lucky to have had his advice during a difficult time in our lives. Joel has worked with my husband and I on the sale of two homes and the purchase of one. He is transparent and direct--and I felt very comfortable with his frank approach. In fact, one of his best qualities was the lack of "smarminess" that I usually associate with Realtors!

  Joel spent a good deal of time working with us before the sale of both of our houses. He was very thorough on going over what needed to be done to sell the house (suggestions and explanations)-- he definitely (and very tactfully) explained what tweaks would make it more "buyer attractive”. Joel is an EXPERT at staging homes and in taking photos. . .my husband and I cherished the photos he took of our home because we could not get over how lovely it looked. Also, his marketing is top notch--our home was even featured in trade publications and our open house (dead of winter and housing market slump be damned) had over 100 people trooping through.

  On both of the sales he did for me, there were some unexpected surprises (HOA problems, inspectors with scare tactics, problems with buyers bank--you name it). He handled everything with calm, friendly, and prompt assistance and resolved all of the issues and moved us toward a final sale that met our needs…and we had no surprises at closing. This was the best service of all.

  Patricia & Chip – Seller & Buyer Clients in 2005 and Seller Clients in 2011

• I must say that my husband and I were extremely impressed with Joel's expertise in selling a Capitol Hill home and buying a house in NW. Joel first helped us 5-6 yrs ago purchase our first home on Capitol Hill. 5 years and 3 kids later, we needed more space. Joel assessed our home to determine what had to be addressed in order to get the biggest return for every dollar invested. We needed every penny we could profit in order to make a down payment on a larger home in NW. It was all well worth it because we obtained two offers on the first weekend it was listed for full list price! This allowed us to negotiate with the most qualified buyer and ask that they drop certain contingencies.

  Joel went above and beyond for us including staging our house for free, trimming our tree in the front yard (no joke - he was up on a ladder cutting branches), putting together great brochures, getting the word out, etc.

  I know we would not be living in our new dream house today if it weren't for Joel and his team!

  Jaclyn & Kevin - Buyers in 2005 and Sellers/Buyers in 2010

• Dear Joel,

  Working with you and your team was a pleasure. I sold my condo in Dupont at a very tough time- at the height of the 2008 "financial crisis," with crashing markets and lots of anxiety. Through it all, you provided valuable perspective and guidance and helped keep me calm. Your thorough knowledge of the DC condo market, legal requirements, pricing and marketing was apparent and the launch process was great.

  Your project management was also excellent and very helpful. I live in Boston and was in my third trimester of pregnancy during the sale. You took care of big details and small details in a thorough and trustworthy manner. You and Holly were always available and responsive throughout. You really took a lot of the pressure off and made the sale process easy. We had tenants in the apartment and you handled them beautifully, even when it really wasn’t easy!

  Finally, you really heard me, as a seller. You understood my priorities and worked with them, which made me feel supported and led to a successful result.

  Again, thanks and best of luck.

  Morra -- Seller Client 2008